


to repair the world (starting with the young)

by Peruse



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fluff, Gen, Gen Work, Hurt/Comfort, Jewish Character, Jewish Terra, No Romance, POV Jewish Character, Pre-Canon, Pre-Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep, YEA! REPRESENTATION!, its very soft actually, we respect terra in this house
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-10
Updated: 2019-05-10
Packaged: 2020-02-29 16:27:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18781909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peruse/pseuds/Peruse
Summary: It had been a week since Ventus collapsed, then it was two, then three, and then a month. Time was measured in tucked in blankets and ruffled hair, in whispered prayers, in soft smiles, and bright sunsets. Terra spoke in burning candles and soft words and when Ven woke; time started anew in warm friendships and spoken names.(2 times where Terra watched over a comatose Ven and 1 time when Ven woke up. All with Jewish Representation!)





	to repair the world (starting with the young)

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks Maple, I couldn't have written this without you; not just headcanons but, like, literally everything. 
> 
> THIS IS THE MOST SELF-INDULGENT THING I'VE EVER WRITTEN AND I HAVE NO REGRETS! Cause if I don't write it, no one will and we _need_ more of this kinda representation.
> 
> As always, feel free to hit me up at @BestPeruse or @MagicMainSora if you'd like lmao.

It had been a week since Ventus arrived and a week since the boy had _screamed_ and collapsed. A week since Master Eraqus accepted the obviously damaged child from Master Xehanort. A week since they moved him into this room. And a week since he had been awake.

Terra looked up from his book and glanced over at the slack face, but Ventus didn’t look any more aware than he did earlier. The brunette absently rubbed at the spine of _History of Scala_ , his fingers settling easily on the broken spine. He cracked his neck and looked at the clock on the wall; he’d been here for almost 3 hours. It’d probably be about an hour until dinner when the Master would take over watch. Terra looked back at his book, but the words seemed to blend together. He grimaced, he wasn’t Aqua and reading 3 hours straight was past his limit. Giving up the lost cause, Terra marked his page and stretched his back. His spine cracked rhythmically, and a few quick twists gave him a satisfying series of pops along with some regret that Aqua wasn’t there to hear it.

Her _face_ whenever he did that was one of Terra’s ‘hidden’ joys. Though that meant she would retaliate with her weird double-jointed-backbend-thing that honestly creeped him out. When they were younger, it would usually escalate from there until the Master sent them both to do laps; but now that they were older, they learned to spread out their retaliation throughout the day. Plus, Terra twisting his wrist 160 degrees around was way subtler than Aqua’s ability to unhinge her arms behind her back.

The teenager gave one final stretch, cracking his wrists before he stood up and rolled the tension away in his shoulders. Terra placed the book down on Ventus’ bed and glanced towards their guest; he was unresponsive but that was expected. Terra’s fingers itched with the need to do _something_ , but what the Master said was true; Ventus would wake up on his own time, they just had to be patient. And Terra was as patient and steady as his namesake, and so he busied himself with adjusting and changing out the child’s comforter for a light blanket. He folded the comforter and placed it at the edge of the bed, a good kick would send it to the floor, but Terra wasn’t that optimistic.

His eyes skimmed around the room, but everything was in order, his eyes fell to his abandoned book and he stared. Terra glanced surreptitiously at the door; it remained closed. With no one to watch him, Terra allowed himself a low groan and threw his head back. He knew how to be patient, of course, but it wasn’t selfish to want Ventus up and awake.

Terra angled his face towards the open window and its soft wind and took a meditative breath. He cracked open his eyes only to hiss; using his hand as a shield, the brunette blinked at the sun. Squinting, he averted his eyes and stepped back away from the light. He rested an arm on his abandoned chair and looked out the window. It was sunset.

Sighing, he looked back at the sleeping boy. The sun’s last light was slowly creeping up Ventus’ chest, but Terra knew that some sun in his eyes wouldn’t wake him up.

“So, 8 days, huh.”

The itch in his fingers was back, if it had ever gone away, and Terra focused himself on the curtains. He half-locked the window and tied up the blinds; fresh air was always good for the ill, but he didn’t want Ventus to get sick. He took half a second to admire the mountains; Ventus was in a smaller room, but the view was one of the nicer ones. He let the curtains drape back down and looked back to the bed.

Terra crossed the distance in 4 large steps and crouched next to the child. He didn’t look peaceful. There was tension in his face that had been there since he collapsed. His face was soft and young though, with chubby cheeks and a boyish roundness. Before Terra was aware of his movement, he found himself smoothing down blonde hair. It was oddly fluffy and as Terra moved his hand down to the boy’s neck, the previously-smoothed sections poofed back up instantly. The keybearer laughed and ruffled the kid’s hair for good measure; Terra wasn’t sure, but he could swear that Ventus’ face had lost some of its tension. Not for the first time, he was reminded of the children in his - or well, his _old_ \- community center.

A sudden idea came to him and Terra laughed out a sharp bark that disrupted the calm silence that Ventus had shrouded himself in. Suddenly, Terra could hear the final calls of birds, the sway of the trees, and soft chiming as the curtain holdbacks swayed against the wall. Adjusting himself from his crouch, Terra dropped inelegantly to the floor. He leaned back on his right hand, rested his left on his knee and spread out his other leg until his shin hit the bed. The brunette looked up the to the ceiling in thought and lightly hummed to himself. With a laugh, he cut himself off and changed the rhythm. He did that two more times before he found the right notes. Terra hummed the pattern once more time before he nodded to himself. He pushed himself off his free arm and leaned forward towards the bed, clasping his hands on his thighs.

“Okay, Ventus, here we go.” Terra scooted the lightest bit closer to the bed and used the opportunity to tuck the blanket under the unwell child’s chin.

“Mi Shebeirach avoteinu

M'kor hab'rachah l'imoteinu.”

Terra pulled his leg under himself until he was sitting on his knees, his back slacked and he breathed in deep. The words came to him easily, already warm and settled in his spirit.

“May the Source of Strength,

Who blessed the ones before us,

Help us find the courage, to make our lives a blessing,

And let us say - Amen.”

Terra covered his mouth to stifle a laugh at how _awkward_ he sounded, for all that he knew the Mi Shebeirach, saying it in English always left him stumbling and hesitant. Coughing down his giggles, Terra cleared his throat and rested his hand on Ventus’ bed.  

“Mi Shebeirach imoteinu, M'kor hab'rachah la'avoteinu.

Bless those in need of healing, with r'fuah sh'leima.

The renewal of body, the renewal of spirit.

And let us say - Amen.”

Terra trailed off, holding the note a bit less than he should’ve. He sounded flat, but that was nothing new. Ventus looked unchanged but he couldn’t say that wasn’t expected. The brunette leaned back on his hand, his posture loosening.

“That was beautiful, Terra.” Terra froze, shoulders hiking, his head whipping around to the entryway. Aqua was leaning against the door with an odd look on her face.

“Aqua!” Terra didn’t feel _shame_ at Aqua listening in; he wouldn’t, not at a _mitzvot_ of all things. But It was always _weird_ when other people listened in or watched. Especially since he had no idea how long Aqua was there nor how much she heard.

She must have seen something in his face, or maybe it was the way he jolted to his feet in a panic. Either way, she didn’t say anything else about it. Terra’s shoulders slumped, both in relief and disappointment.

“Is it dinner?”

“Yes, the Master told me to go get you.” Terra nodded and grabbed his forgotten book with one hand and the chair with another. He dropped the chair a bit roughly at the desk and blithely ignored Aqua’s look.

“So, did you get the reading done?”

Oh.

“Well, I got most of it.”

“Most? Terra…!” Aqua’s laughter erupted from the hall as the two walked away; overtaking the sound of Terra’s protests.

* * *

 

Today marked the 24th day since Ventus arrived; almost a month since his collapse.

“Hey, Ventus.”

Terra nodded in the boy’s direction and kicked the door shut behind him. Carefully, he lumbered his way to the desk and shuffled his bag onto the old wood. Next to it, he let down a small bundle of fabric. Cracking his neck, the brunette walked over to the cracked window and pulled open the curtains. It was almost sunset; by Terra’s guess they had about 30 minutes. But the rays were still warm, and they draped the room in bold oranges and reds. The teenager tied the drapes down and turned around to check on his charge. Sauntering over, Terra reached out and ruffled the boy’s hair.

“How are you?”

There wasn’t a response, of course, but Terra’s sharp eyes meticulously moved across the child’s frame. Either Aqua or the Master had already switched the boy’s summer blanket for a wool comforter. They had been lucky so far with a late winter, but it had been chilly all day and while Aqua seemed fine, _more_ than fine really - she was always in a better mood at the start of winter. Terra, nor anyone else, thought that Ventus had the same penchant for cold. The kid would tell them when he woke up, but all Terra had to do was look at thin wrists to find that answer.

Content that everything was normal, Terra turned his attention back to the desk. The brunette picked up the bundle; It was one of the Master’s nicer linens that Terra had taken years ago, with gold inlays and elegant embroidery. The brunette was _sure_ that the Master knew he had it, but he was kind enough, and Terra was grateful enough, that Master Eraqus hadn’t said anything about it. He adjusted one of the intricate knots holding it together and placed it to the side.

“Sorry, Aqua’s not here. I know I don’t normally watch you Friday nights, but she can’t make it tonight. She didn’t mention to me why, but the Master said it was important business.” Or well, in not so many words. Aqua was scheduled to watch the blonde from lunch until dinner, but the Master had summoned Terra 20 minutes ago - well into Aqua’s time. He said she was ill, but Terra had seen her this morning and she looked fine _and_ she also had done most of her watch. But the Master’s face had an odd look and his tone told Terra not to even try arguing. And so, Terra had volunteered to guard him. And for the first time in 4 weeks, Terra found himself sharing his Friday night with Ventus.

“I hope you don’t mind.” If the boy did, he didn’t say it out loud and Terra smirked at his own poor taste.

The brunette turned back to the bag and grabbed a silver candlestick holder. He reached for its twin before his hands stilled and slowed. Once again, he turned around to look at Ventus; the brunette’s gaze darted between the bed and the window and he nodded to himself. He dropped the candlestick holder and shoved the other one back in the bag. He snagged the strap of the bag and his left hand grabbed the edge of the bundle, lightly balanced it in his hand. Turning around, he dropped the items on the child’s bed, one more delicate than the other.

“Keep an eye on this for me?” Terra turned back to the desk and pulled the chair out, with a quick movement, he had it situated against the wall and out of the way. The teenager rolled his left arm and grabbed the edges of the desk, he bent his knees and pulled up. Desk firmly in hand, Terra strolled over to Ventus’ bed. His confident steps slowed, and he quickly looked around the room. He looked at his friend, the window, his feet, to his friend again, and then to the rest of the room. The brunette gave an almost delicate side-step and looked around the room, back at their guest, back to the window, and cocked his head. He took another side-step.

3 minutes later, Terra put the desk down with a soft thump and took two steps back. The teenager crossed his arms and nodded to himself.

“That should be good.”

The desk was facing the window, not even near the center of the room - closer to the far end where the blonde’s line of sight would be. It was far enough in that Terra had plenty of room to move, but not far enough away that he had to turn around to see his charge.

“It’s not perfect, but it’s nicer than staring at the wall.” Terra flashed him a grin and picked up the fabric. He lightly laid it on the corner of the desk. Without a trace of finesse, he snatched his bag and dropped it on the table. His hand dove into the bag and he hooked two fingers under the candlestick holders, he pulled them out with steady ease and twisted his wrist to drop them up-right on the table. His other hand grabbed the glass bottle of wine and dropped it next to the holders. For a second, he froze as the bottle wobbled precariously before settling down. Terra gave sharp laugh in relief before he dropped a pack of matches with abandon on the table. They bounced to the floor and Terra stared, he sighed at his hubris and bent down to grab them. He tossed the matches back on the table, not caring at how it crashed into the cloth. Two candles soon followed and were quickly placed in their holders.

The last item he removed was a small cup. It was a plain silver, nearly bronze at first sight. But Terra knew better and whenever he picked it up, his fingers always traced the delicate patterns and old sigils that encircled it. He placed the cup down next to the wine and in a single swift movement, grabbed the now-empty bag and hooked it onto Ventus’ bedpost.

Terra looked back toward the window and then turned to fuss with his setup; adjusting the candles to sit straight, centering his wine and the cup, and moving the bundle away to the left of the wine and away from the edge of the table. The brunette took the bottle of wine and opened the seal with a pop, he carefully poured the wine until the cup was about half-full and re-capped the bottle. The sealed, mostly-full bottle was quickly discarded back into his bag. Terra adjusted the wine cup and picked up the linen. He untied the knots and placed it back down, making sure to leave its prize covered. He grabbed the matches and looked back out the window.

Long experience told him that the sun would set in about 15 minutes or so. He tossed the matches to his left hand and turned back to his charge.

“Ready?” Wisely, he did not wait for an answer.

With a single, adroit movement, Terra snapped off match, twirled it in the right direction, and lit it. He cupped a hand around the first candle and ignited it with a gentleness that defied his early disregard. Waiting until it glowed a healthy orange, the brunette removed his hand carefully shook the match out and dropped it on the table. A second match was quickly lit, and the second candle soon followed.

Terra breathed in, his shoulders loosening with the drifting smoke. He waved out the match and dropped it on the table. The smoke made the light above Ventus hazy and soft, Terra leaned over through the smoke and waved it away; the last thing anyone needed was for the kid to smell like smoke. Or for him to _inhale_ smoke; he had enough issues. Terra looked down at his friend and needlessly adjusted his blankets. Satisfied, he pushed himself off the bed and back over to the desk and looked at the two cheerfully burning candles.

“Barukh atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha’olam asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu l’hadlik ner shel Shabbat.”

Terra leaned back with a pleased smile and glanced at Ventus out of the corner of his eye. He ruffled the blonde hair with a fond smile and grabbed his Kiddush cup. He looked down at it, idly swirling the wine before he stilled his hand. He gave an embarrassed cough and hid a grin; almost feeling need to look over his shoulder at an imagined look of disapproval. He ignored it and raised the cup in the air; it hit the sun and Terra could’ve sworn it was glowing.

“Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech ha’olam, borei p’ri hagafen.

Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech ha’olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’ratzah vanu,

v’Shabbat kodsho b’ahavah uv’ratzon hinchilanu, zikaron l’maaseih v’reishit.

Ki hu yom t’chilah l’mikra-ei kodesh, zecher litziat Mitzrayim.

Ki vanu vacharta, v’otanu kidashta, mikol haamim.

V’Shabbat kodsh’cha b’ahavah uv’ratzon hinchaltanu.

Baruch atah, Adonai, m’kadeish ha Shabbat.”

Terra drank his wine in a large sip, already tasting challah on his tongue. He put the empty cup down and looked to his left, hands already reaching out. Terra froze and angled himself to the bed; Ventus was still sleeping. Terra looked down at his hands. The teenager’s hands went to his hips as he looked at the candles. He shrugged, nothing he could do about it now.

Turning away from the candles Terra made the motions of washing his hands. As he was scrubbing his hands with imaginary water, he turned to Ventus and laughed.

“It’s the thought that counts, right?” As he finished his hand washing, he held his hands out and let the imaginary water drip off.

“Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech ha’olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav vetzivanu al netilat yadayim.”

Terra rubbed his hands together to ‘dry’ them and reached for the challah. He delicately took off the covering, draping it next to the bread. It still felt faintly warm and Terra felt another -weekly- rush of gratitude towards Aqua. He’d check on her after the Master retrieved him, and he’d bring her dinner too. Hopefully she had an appetite.

Picking up the loaf with one hand, Terra grabbed the edge lightly with the other.

“Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech ha’olam hamotzi lechem min Haaretz,

A-men.”

With that, Terra tore off a chunk of the mostly-warm challah and took a bite. His eyes lit up, Aqua didn’t often add almonds, but it was always a surprise when she did; she must’ve been a good mood this morning. He felt another stab of sympathy for Aqua, hopefully she’d feel better tomorrow.  

Terra dropped the rest of loaf back on the table and automatically turned to offer Ventus some. His smile dropped as he remembered, his hand lowering as he stared at Ventus’ sleeping face. The teenager sighed and slowly chewed on the piece, trying not to grimace; _patience, patience, patience_. Terra shoved the rest of the challah in his mouth and used the linen to re-wrap the leftovers, it would be part of breakfast for the next few days and the brunette wanted to stall it going stale as long as possible; Aqua might like French toast, but it always left Terra buzzing with too much sugar.

He dropped the cup and the matches, both new and old, in the bag and made a mental note to wash the cup when he got back to his room. Cleaning old sticky wine out of a Kiddush cup 10 minutes before sunset was never ideal.

Terra stretched his arms up, his muscles already prepared for his after-Shabbat katas. Technically, it wasn’t work when you enjoyed it, and Friday night was the closest thing Terra had to rest until Sunday. And Sunday wasn’t the right day anyway.

As Terra finished his basic stretches, his gaze wandered back to Ventus.

Ventus was sleeping, unarguably and pedantically _resting_ , even if trauma caused that rest. Yet, an inane thought stood with Terra; the boy was resting, but it was _last week’s_ rest. The itch was back in his fingers and the brunette turned to the bed and stared at the young face. He frowned and crossed his arms; his leg started bouncing and his tapped his foot unconsciously, but his energy didn’t dissipate

Terra’s face gave an odd twitch before it gave way to something contemplative and ineffable and he sat himself at the edge of the bed. Slowly, he propped the boy up, leaning the slight weight against himself. He rolled the boy into the crook of his arm and used his free hand to flip and beat the pillow against the wall. He didn’t bother to be quiet, but the blonde didn’t stir. He dropped the pillow and fretted with it for a long minute. Slowly, he readjusted the child back down, making sure that the pillow was supporting his neck. Ventus’ comforter soon followed as Terra stripped it off the bed and beat it against the window; careful not to disrupt the candles. By the time he had tucked the kid back into bed, the air was starting to get cool.

Terra hummed to himself, feeling pleased and walked back to the center of the room. He re-started his stretching and easily flowed into his katas. He focused only on his movements and the movement his body guided him in as he was outlined by the setting sun.

* * *

 

“Terra! Terra!” Terra skitted around the corner, hand gripping the door frame as he launched himself in the room. Aqua didn’t even look startled at his sudden arrival; her eyes were huge and her grin was wide enough to split her face. He opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, but she didn’t let him get word out. And she was so excited that her words stumbled into each other in a way Terra hadn’t seen since she had first summoned Rainfell. It took him a second to understand what she was saying and then another 10 seconds to _register_ what she was saying.

“Terra! Ventus is awake! Go get the Master!” Terra did no such thing and his head whiplashed to the bed. After 40 days, Ventus was awake. He didn’t look aware, his eyes were hazy and distant, but they were _open_. He was sitting up by himself, Aqua’s old shirt slipping down one shoulder. Despite Aqua’s yelling, he didn’t look in her direction and just stared blankly in front of him.

But he was _awake_.

“Terra! Go get the Master!” Terra startled and looked back at Aqua, he nodded and used the door frame to launch himself out of the room. He got 1, 2, _3_ rooms away before took a large breath and screamed.

“Master Eraqus! Master Eraqus! Master! Ventus is awake!” Terra ran down the familiar halls, head bobbing back and forth between doors; he had no _idea_ where the Master even _was_ , but his quarters were this way and that was a good as place to start as any. With any luck, he’d hear Terra and come to him instead. Seconds after the thought left his head, one of the doors to his left, the armory, burst open and Terra dropped into a quick roll. His momentum took him to another roll before he finally stilled, fingers dragging across the rough stone. Still crouched on the floor, the door bounced against the wall and the Master dashed out. His eyes were wide and focused only on Terra, his spine was stiff, and the teenager felt the slightest bit relieved at the sight of his guardian.

“What? Terr-”

“Master!” Terra interrupted, he panted, heart beating a mile-a-minute. “Master, Ventus is awake!”

Master Eraqus listened as far as “Ventus” before he took off towards Ventus’ room. Terra pushed himself back to his feet and was following in the Master’s shadow before his brain realized he was moving. The brunette ignored his rough breaths and the pain on his side and he pushed himself on; the Master was fast, especially with a head start and Terra had no chance of catching up. Maybe in a few years when he finished growing, but even then, Terra wasn’t sure.

The Master slowed down as they entered the chamber hallways and in a slick movement, pivoted on his heel into Ventus’ room. Terra wasn’t so elegant and instead grabbed the door frame again to break his speed; unlike the first time, his socks didn’t give him enough traction and Terra hit the ground. His left knee ached from where he slammed it into the floor, but he scrambled to his feet and swung into the room.

Ventus hadn’t moved, and Terra wasn’t sure if he had even blinked. But he was still _awake._ The Master had positioned himself on one knee at his bedside and Aqua was standing over his shoulder, just far enough away that the Master wouldn’t say anything; judging by Aqua’s hovering, he already had. Terra rested his hand on his knees and panted, a step away from wheezing, his eyes not looking away from the boy’s. He looked even younger awake; and Terra felt horror pool in his stomach in the same way he had felt on that first day; horror and nausea. Ventus was a _child_. He wasn’t older than _12_.

Terra felt that he was getting used to the rush of protectiveness and indignation that ran through his blood at the thought of it.

The Master was speaking low and soothingly to him, though whatever he was saying was lost in soft murmurs by the time it reached Terra. He watched as his Master brought one hand up to Ventus’ face, a fingertips length away from his eyes; at the lack of reaction, he slowly rested his hand on the top of the blonde’s hair. The Master exhaled and closed his eyes, though what he was looking for, Terra couldn’t say.

Aqua’s eyes were dancing between the Master and Ventus, and for a moment they locked gazes and Terra gave her a grin. She smiled back; her eyes showing the same mixture of hope, shock, and excitement that Terra felt. In sync, both of their gazes locked back onto Ventus. To their delighted shock, the child’s head slowly turned until he was looking at their Master. Another slow minute passed before their Master’s eyes opened and met Ventus’. Master Eraqus’ hand slid back until he was cupping the boy’s head and he smiled.

“Hello Ventus, my name is Master Eraqus.”

Ventus _blinked_.

“You’re in my home in the Land of Departure, do you remember?” The Master went silent, waiting for a response and with a shock, Terra realized that Ventus might actually be able to _give_ one.

Ventus didn’t say anything.

The Master didn’t look offended and instead began rubbing his thumb soothingly along the boy’s scalp. Terra felt disappointment for a flash of a second before he squashed it down; he _just_ woke up. This was more progress than they had seen in a month.

“You were in an accident. Your previous Master, Master Xehanort, brought you here to heal.” Ventus didn’t give any acknowledgement and their Master continued. “You’re going to stay here and heal, train, and live with myself and my apprentices, Terra and Aqua.”

 _That_ garnered a response.

Ventus blinked and his empty eyes slid across the room. His eyes locked onto Terra and he stared. Brown eyes matched blue eyes and Terra held his breath and counted the seconds in his head, after 18 seconds, Ventus _spoke._

“Terra.”

Terra’s grip on the door frame went lax and he stared, mouth gaping. Ventus’ head moved until he was looking behind the Master and this time there was no hesitation.

“Aqua.”

Aqua gasped, her hands went to her mouth in shock. Distantly, he noticed her fingers were trembling. Terra felt rooted to the floor, his grip on the door worthless, and his knees bent and steady. His mind wasn’t nearly as calm, and his thoughts jumped around so fast he felt dizzy.

“That’s right, Ventus.” It took a long moment for Ventus to look back to their Master, but their Master was patient. When slate eyes met blue, the Master gave a soft smile and resumed stroking the boy’s hair.

“Are you hungry, Ventus. You must be. It’s been a long time since you had anything proper to eat. Aqua?” Aqua’s stillness and shock melted away like water and she was suddenly at the Master’s side on her knees. She offered the boy a soft smile.

“Hello, Ventus.”

“Aqua, would you go fetch Ventus some broth from the kitchen? Not the stew, it would be a bit too much for his stomach I think, but the bone base would work just fine.” Aqua nodded, face serious; she always focused easier when she had a concrete task and a goal to accomplish. Almost idly, Terra frowned at the idea of bone broth, matzoh ball would be so much _better._

“Of course, Master.” She pushed herself into a crouch in a smooth motion and moved to turn around. Instead, she stopped and angled herself back to the bed and offered the boy a soft smile.

“I’ll be right back, Ven, alright?” She pushed herself to her feet with a grace that suddenly reminded Terra of his throbbing knee. As she walked past him, her hand went to his bicep and they exchanged large, almost frantic grins. Aqua’s poise lasted 3 steps out of the room and Terra grinned as he watched her break out into a frantic run. The brunette turned his attention back to the room and back to the bed. Ventus had _watched_ Aqua leave, his eyes still focused on the door. Slowly, blue eyes moved back to Terra and he offered the blonde a warm smile, more subdued but no less happy than what he shared with Aqua.

“Hi, Ventus.”

“….Terra.”

Terra’s heart hurt in a special kind of way. Unconsciously, he offered a small wave and ignored his Master’s amused look.

“That’s me. I’m glad to see you awake, Ventus - _Ven_.” At the nickname, the same one Aqua had thrown out, Ventus blinked. He didn’t seem upset at it, but so far it had gained more of a reaction than his full name had. Or at least Terra _thought_ so, and the Master seemed to think so as well.

“Ven.” Ven didn’t look at him, but he let his head be guided by the Master’s hand. Master Eraqus gave a soft smile and as Terra watched Ven breath and blink, his Masters’ words moved into a slow buzz in the back of the teenager’s mind. Terra leaned back and rested his hip on the desk, almost belatedly he remembered that he never moved it back after Shabbat.

The sound of footsteps grabbed Terra’s attention and he looked out the open door; he snickered. Aqua was power walking, her steps calculated just under a run. She had a tray with the covered soup, a surplus of napkins, 3 spoons, and a mug. The mug’s handle was curved around her pinky and by the way it bounced as she walked, it was probably for the best. Terra backed fully against the desk as Aqua glided past him into the room. Her entrance filled the air with the warm smell of broth and the clanging of silverware. She descended to her knees and placed the tray near the Master, to the right of Ven’s legs. She grabbed the far-left spoon and tossed it over her shoulder. Terra caught it and by the way Aqua’s shoulders hunched, she didn’t need to see his expression. It was a smart idea though, that way if - and Terra gleefully knew that she _did_ \- she dropped a spoon, she wouldn’t have to go get another one.

The Master’s soft words disappeared and was replaced with soothing words by his friend and their Master as they tried to get Ventus to eat. Terra remembered his whispered name and blue eyes that had followed Aqua and amended his thoughts: as they tried to get _Ven_ to eat.

Terra grinned, spoon in hand, and leaned his weight fully against the desk. The Master had moved to sit on his knees and had filled his own lap with the tray and Aqua had filled the mug half way with soup and was trying to tempt Ven into taking it. The brunette felt warm in a way that he didn’t know he was missing.

Terra smiled to himself, hidden and secret under Aqua’s pleased sound as Ven slowly curled his hands around the mug. Terra remembered quiet nights and re-scheduled training; he remembered a soft Shabbat and whispered words; he remembered the softness as Aqua read stories and the content tone as their Master spoke of history and legends. Under the bustle and clinking and encouraging words, Terra spoke:

“Barukh ata adonai elohenu melekh ha’olam, shehecheyanu, v’kiyimanu, v’higiyanu la’z’man ha’zeh,

Amen”

**Author's Note:**

> So I don’t normally write notes for fics, usually it's like, ride or die, but I think this one kinda needs some, so:
> 
> Terra has brown eyes, fight me
> 
> Mi Shebeirach is a prayer to help wish healing and a fast recovery towards those who are sick. There is the ‘English’ version, which is the version Terra sings in this fic, the other one is in Hebrew but is more complex and wordier and posting a fully English translation loses its meaning. The reason Terra feels so awkward singing it is not only that it’s in English, but generally you sing Mi Shebeirach as a group in your shul. Because the prayer isn’t just asking for healing from your ancestors or a higher power, but also for the blessings and well-wishes of your community; it’s weird to sing on your own lol. 
> 
> The final prayer Terra says is called the Shehecheyanu. It’s a bit hard to explain, but the gist is that you do it to celebrate ‘new’ events, blessed events, and joyous events; especially when the occur for the first time. So yes, Terra was being very sappy.


End file.
